Knighted By Blood
by TextGirl
Summary: The world of the unseen and the world as we know it, an unknown princess and a demon with a list of regrets. Enter the world of Politics, vampires and cultist demons. All of these things in more rest behind the doors of the famous Fuuka sorority known as Alpha-Beta. Can the love over come the fate of lust filled desires? Futa-Shizuru x Natsuki Read and Review.
1. Abnormalize Part 1

_**AN: Welcome to another one of my many series of stories that I will complete, hopefully sometime in the future. This is called Knighted by Blood and yes there will be futa. There will also be smut, and as for DBS , I'm still continuing that. However, for this story I will be working with a beta, and I will be pushing this story very far when it comes to my writing skills and length. Therefore, in terms of updates they might be slower; as for DBS, the update speed will still be the same. This is a vampire-demon story. Thank you so much Amanda she's my Beta!**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-Hime**

**Warnings: Futanari story Vampire-Demon story with smut-like references.**

"**Talking"**

"_**Thinking or P.O.V"**_

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><p>"So how about it - are we going?"<p>

"Are we going to go where?"

I turned my chair around to see my roommate's face. Much like her bright blonde hair, she beamed with excitement. With the look she had on her face just then, she radiated a certain appearance, something akin to that of a dumb-blonde, but that would be pushing my analysis of my roommate too far. Perhaps a bit on the cruel side. Turning back around I pretended to ignore her, seemingly finding my biochemistry text that I was ordered to read ahead of class to be of more interest.

"Come on, don't be that way Natsuki. Time is too short! I mean it's rush week starting tomorrow."

"Rush week…not this crap again Alyssa."

I tried harder to look over my work, once again ignoring Alyssa. I grumbled inwardly to myself in choppy, fragmented sentences that my dear roommate could not decipher. It had only been a week since Alyssa found out, and the blonde-haired woman annoyed me to no end when it came to rush week.

I sized both of us up, seeing as how the sororities preyed upon cute girls who had no hopes in life, other than being trophy wives. Alyssa was a tall, busty, blonde-haired woman with low cut, light blue jeans and a white tank top two sizes too small. I could tell she wore her clothing that tight in hopes of gaining favor with all the men she would "run" into for her senseless dates. The appearance my roommate chose for herself gained no favor with me on a personal level. Looking like an object for men to gawk at was clearly not my style. Unlike her, I was on the plain side of things, choosing baseball tees and ratty jeans ripped at the ends. All and all, other than outside looks and cosmetics, I tended to be the more responsible type. Turning in my library books held more importance than parties.

Maybe my friends, our outlook on life has something to do with our background, the past experiences which are unique to each individual. Being stuck in a poor neighborhood and seeing your only father commit suicide in front of you at age eight is a traumatic experience. One could not blame me for having such a morbid outlook on life to the extent that I did, and perhaps that was why my goals were different than Alyssa's goals. In terms of my mother, she left on some holy trip for the Catholic Church, abandoning me to my grandmother. For that I was grateful – that is, until she died last year. I felt like I lost my best friend and _true_ mother. Habitually grabbing my Rosary through my shirt, I thought about her often. I wasn't particularly religious, however with what was going on in my life, I needed a good luck charm, and to me my grandmother's Rosary was just that.

My grandmother saved up for my college tuition for years, and in order to meet my dreams of becoming a biochemist, I put my heart and soul into the current scholastic efforts set before me. I knew my monthly stipend from her finances would last for the first three years of school, so I decided to try and complete the courses as quickly as I could. A part of me needed answers to my life, and only science could prove my convictions and explain my father's death. With my goals in front of me, there was no way that sorority life was going to be a part of my strict school regimen, and I wanted to pass this entire year with top scores in every class. Now only two weeks into school, a lot of the sororities and other social clubs wanted us freshmen as the new doormat in their cornucopia of parties and drunken sex scandals. I for one was not to any degree interested, and I was a doormat for no one, especially in a situation where I would be used as the spoils of victory for a dare or bet.

I hated sororities and the people that hosted them. I knew some of them did good work for charity, and I also knew that it would look good on my college credit, but still other options were available.

But just then I was absorbed in other matters: I sat there with my bimbo roommate as she begged me to go on the most painful exploration known to my thus far short college existence.

"Please go by yourself. It's more your thing than mine. You know how I feel about those kinds of things."

"Come on Natsuki, when will you ever get to be young again, huh? The answer is never! Besides, I heard that in Alpha Gamma you could get more college credits if you participate in fundraisers. Also I heard that Alpha Gamma meet with the Omega brothers, who are so super-hot!"

"Not interested…"

"Why…?"

"Look sororities aren't of any interest to me. Besides, what would your mother say right now? I mean you were supposed to get your books how many days ago?"

Turning my chair around to see Alyssa pouting, I saw her cross her arms, pushing her chest into a tighter bulge, but I kept myself in line.

"You know that's not fair, right?"

"Who said anything about me playing fair?"

Little did Alyssa know that I was guilt tripped into watching over her college career. When I moved in, Alyssa's mother picked up on my character right away. Understanding that she was just as unreliable as her daughter, she knew that her Alyssa would need help, so I was tasked with watching over her. Maybe because of the absence of my mother in my own life, my heartstrings were plucked and pulled at Mrs. Sears's request. Everyone knew that she was a part of the rich and elite on campus, so there was no secret to how she got accepted. Still that never changed her _more-than-bouncy_ attitude, and considering my poor background, I thought we would be in trouble as dorm-mates. I figured rich and stupid was much better than rich and snobby, so I took Alyssa's perky attitude for what it was. So then I was stuck in that place, with a promise to look out for the seemingly naïve, blonde freshman who I called my dorm mate.

"Fine, if you don't want to come, then go join the science club, but at least come with me to rush week. I want to pledge to Alpha Gamma! My mother was in that one, and you know anything is better than Alpha Beta."

"Alpha Beta - what's wrong with them? Do they have a bad reputation?"

"No really, their reputation is actually the best on campus, and their charity events are always great. However, they are very exclusive and they kind of have a standoffish attitude. The members connect with the Alpha brothers mostly. They only take thirteen new members, and some semesters they don't take anyone at all."

"Sounds like my type of sorority," I said sarcastically.

Watching Alyssa as she beamed with excitement, I was jolted as she grabbed my arm and looked at me with hopeful eyes, not understanding the concept of sarcasm.

"So you'll join?"

"Not a chance in hell."

"Ahhh…well…"

"Look I gotta take this book back to the library. I've got Roman civilization in the morning."

I got up and slipped on my jacket, taking my book with me. Walking down the hall and out of the girl's dormitory, I finally made my way to the campus, and spotted the library with its tall glass doors and grey stone statues. A long concrete sidewalk gave way, leading onward to the library, and as I continued my walk, I thought more of Alpha Beta.

When I heard the name, a fire was stoked within me. This emotion stirred and churned a fire of hatred that I felt was the same as back _then_ - back when I watched my father slit his wrists before hanging himself. At the time I did not understand it, but I knew the feeling that came while watching the action. The feeling was hypnotic and hateful. I was grounded when I watched my father take his own life, and it was only after the act that I could move. Nothing was natural about that moment, nor was anything natural about my mother's escape towards the Catholic Church.

After turning in my book, I escaped toward the inner folds of the library. My thoughts then drifted to one of my less favorite classes. Out of all the curriculum that could have been taught within the university, paranormal myth was one of the more bizarre choices. I found the class to be a joke, something easy for the jocks to get quick credits so that they could make their grades in order to play sports. Along with the awkwardness of the professor starting the class two weeks into the semester instead of on the first day, I still could not figure out why the class took place on Sundays.

I knew something was wrong. I knew when I picked out my classes. I remembered being on my laptop, my eyes going over the selection of courses. The rest was a big, blackened void of a memory. It was as if I was outside my body and I watched all of my actions in one, fluid slow motion. It was as if darkness took conscious form in that moment and swallowed me up.

I was saddened to learn that I was to be stuck in a two-hour class every Sunday, as everyone knew there was really no point to the class. Picking up my cell phone, I looked through my inbox that contained an unknown email. Opening it, I read as I stood in between the rows of books.

_Greetings,_

_Hello and welcome all to Paranormal Myth 201 Theories and Natural Behavior_. M_y name is Shizuru_ _Fujino_ _and I will be your instructor for the semester. Within this email, you will find the syllabus attached. Be ready this Sunday to discuss chapters one and two in your text. Please note that if you do not show up the first day, you will be automatically dropped, so time is important! I hope to see you all this Sunday._

As I read the attachment, I paid close attention to what I needed to read. I had until before class Sunday to complete the task. Upon turning my attention to my search for my text that I needed to barrow from the library, another strange and mysterious scene unfolded. A gust of wind blew open the sun-bathed windows, blinding my vision in a torrent of light and dust as I covered my arms over my eyes. Lowering my arms, I looked over to the side to see a figure beside me. Dressed in all black and a red, a tie hanging loosely around her neck, her masculine yet centered femininity washed over me. Her shoulders were strong and square like a neatly piled stack of bricks, while her somewhat tight dress shirt showed off her body like a second skin. I could see the well-defined muscles. Her forearms strong, her waist tight, and her posture upright, it appeared through her rolled up sleeves that she could carry anything with ease. Her chest was ample but firm as her jeans hung on her hips, accentuating all the right places. The tone was tense as I looked down to her black biker boots. Her chestnut-hair hung in a loose, low ponytail, and a pair of reading glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. There was an elegant, classic beauty to her yet something young and hip, leaving behind traces of desire to anyone who would lay eyes on her. It was as if my soul transcended my body once again, and I hazily viewed the scene before me. This woman was something of a different breed. In a moment, I felt my soul being pulled back into my body as she turned toward me, book in hand. Taking my hand in hers, I watched as she kneeled down as if she were a knight in service to a lady. The library was quiet, so there was not a soul present to witness the unusual display. She opened her mouth, her lips brushing the top of my palm with a sexual tension that I had never known before. I couldn't tell, but under her lips I felt a sharpness, never quite touching my skin, but implying a presence. As she kissed the top of my hand, I felt my body heat up at the contact.

"Princess, allow me to welcome you first hand to Fuuka University. It's been a long time Natsuki," spoke the smooth Kyoto accent. I felt this woman before me must surely be insane as she looked up towards me, her brown eyes glowing and melting into a murderous red. The library lights came on, welcoming the dusk, and as she stood with her body still very close to my own, I noticed that she was a good several inches taller than I was. She smiled and handed me the book that I wanted, a toothy fanged grin making its way across her face. My underwear grew wet with excitement at the mere presence of a stranger for the first time in my life.

As I took my book slowly, I felt released from the unspoken bondage which drenched the atmosphere. I ran, checking the book out as fast I could, and finally opened the door to my dorm room. I noticed a red letter on my desk, along with a separate cheeky note from Alyssa who was not home.

_Hi, _

_Went out drinking with the girls, but this creepy red note came for you. I left it on your desk._

_Alyssa_

As I glanced at the card, my panties grew further moist, and my pulse stampeded toward the delicate folds between my legs. Something told me that this letter was dangerous. As I opened the blood red envelope, a black piece of paper with red, gnarled script revealed itself. As I looked at the writing, it appeared to be done with red wax. The elegant print looked like it would take at least two hours to complete, considering wax was the assumed medium.

_To our honored guest Natsuki Kuga,_

_We do hereby invite you to join Alpha Beta. We have selected you out of the entire student body as one of thirteen of our ladies to join our exclusive and most exciting sorority. Tomorrow is rush day, and you will be more than welcome to stop by with your answer. We anxiously await both your arrival and response._

_A-B House _

Upon further inspection of the card, a scent started to arise from it; it smelled of copper, or perhaps it was iron that emanated from the parchment, though it was hard to say. After setting the card on the desk, I untied my ponytail and took off my shoes. I had the entire room to myself for the night. On my side of the room, only a single desk and modest bed resided in the otherwise mostly empty half. It was plain and I liked it like that. I knew that I would not be residing in this room for a long time, for next semester I would change rooms to board with a different person.

Gathering up my washing supplies, I went to the local bathroom at the end of my hall within the dorm to take care of my underwear problem in the sink. It turned out that I needed to catch a cold shower with a warm night's sleep. Those were the only solutions that could settle my heated nerves.

After getting in bed, I got a text from Alyssa stating that she was over at a friend's dorm room for the whole night. For the most part, everything was ready for my next day of class. The moon rose higher in its place in the nighttime sky, and a few hours into the twilight, it became apparent that reading in bed seemed to have no effect on me. It was of little to no use. I was still in a trance from earlier in the library, as if under a mysterious spell.

"Maybe it's flattery - I mean who does that? We are not in the Victorian era…and her eyes, I could have sworn they were brown."

I knew talking to myself wasn't going to help, so research was needed. I shot up from bed, making my way to my desk, and unfolded my laptop before opening up the school website. I typed in Alpha Beta and saw a rather large, detailed page pop up, revealing the rich history surrounding the cult-like sorority. Everything seemed to connect. Scrolling down, I spotted a picture of three girls whose appearance might perhaps look normal from outside standards, but something in their eyes stated that there was definitely something more. Something within the picture pulled me in; it was a world that was parallel to mine.

_DING_

Jumping up, I looked toward my phone to see another useless email. Deciding to ignore it, I then scrolled down to my contacts. Finding the right name, I then sent my text.

_Hey, it's me Natsuki. I decided to go to rush week. The only reason I'm going is because you're hopeless without me. However, just because I'm going doesn't mean I'm joining. You got that!_

Satisfied with my text, I was happy to send it and I hoped for a response back. Leaning back in my chair, I looked toward the clock, and for the first time ever, boredom struck me. Normally I would have taken this time to "take care of my needs," but tonight I could not focus, and for once I wondered why. Soon my text came and back sliding my phone on, I read the cheery message that followed. Even while in a drunken state, Alyssa still managed to find a smile.

_Really?! I'll see you bright and early before class! _

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><p><em><strong>AN: Hey well here's the first chapter this story is going to be a slow moving one since I'm putting a lot into DBS. So this is just a sample first chapter to see how everyone likes it, as well as for those who like smut there will be smut as well. Also as well as I'm working with a Beta right now and learning how to improve my art in writing so read and review.<strong>_


	2. Abnormalize Part 2

**AN: Hey everyone how is it going time to enjoy the next chapter of Knighted by Blood. Thank you to my super wonderful Beta Amanda for the sick work that she has been doing. As For the negative reviewers and my faithful reviewers that have been sticking up for me thank you, as for you haters there's a warning I put up for a reason. Also i'm not mad at you for hating you know this story is great that why you hate also if you don't like sex take your ass to the rated T section.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-Hime**

**Warnings: Futanari story Vampire-Demon story with smut-like references.**

"**Talking"**

"_**Thinking or P.O.V"**_

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><p>Sometimes I would ask myself how I got into these situations, the kind which only served to annoy me, suffocating me under the weight of irritation. But then I looked over to Alyssa and her beaming face and I remembered exactly how I'd gotten there, as she delightedly went from booth to booth, trying everything out like an excited puppy who greeted the world with a fresh, enthusiastic outlook. Right now we were in the very heart of rush week where everything was colorful, and it reminded me of my old high school festivals. However, unlike those festivals, everyone smelled like stagnant beer and cheap, knockoff perfume or cologne. In my eyes, the whole atmosphere of rush week seemed very forced as everyone tried their best to make his- or herself fit into the ideal fraternity or sorority, and the smiling faces on each face did nothing to lift my spirits. Quite the opposite, actually. I looked around to see eight booths set up, sprinkled across a small pathway, leading up to the science building beside another group of booths that were set up for campus-related clubs. Just then, simply getting through the huge mass of people swarming around me presented itself as my main objective, however seemingly impossible it may have been, but my mind once again wandered to my obligation of attending my nine o'clock class. I knew I had to make this quick.<p>

"Hey!" Alyssa exclaimed, jumping in front of me. I had forgotten that she was there for a moment, and as I watched her smile spread across her face once again, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"Don't act like that Natsuki. It's not as bad as you think."

"I woke up early for this, but I swear that if one more jock _'accidentally'_ bumps into me, I'm feeding him ground glass!"

"I enjoy that kind of thing. It lets me know that they are interested. You know, there's this foreign exchange student named Brad, and he is so yummy."

"Really Alyssa…"

"Yeah, really. I think I saw him pledge with Omega Brothers. Oh by the way, come on - the line to Alpha Gamma is open!"

Before I could speak up, I found myself being dragged by Alyssa, and my beat up, old converse scraped along the ground roughly as if they meant to voice my protest for me. As I approached the table, my dreaded expectations were fulfilled as I noticed four girls, very similar in demeanor and dress to Alyssa, sitting in chairs and greeting inquisitive visitors at their booth. As they spotted us, all four beamed in adoration at my dormmate and friend. I immediately attempted to ignore them, quickly shoving earbuds into my ears and pressing play on my device as to drown out their annoying voices which I likened to the sound of nails on a chalkboard. My volume was not loud enough, apparently. Still, I pretended not to hear them.

"Hi and welcome to Alpha-Gamma. You are?" asked the first girl, whose hair was every bit of blonde as Alyssa's.  
>Noticing her pink shirt whose bold, black letters read '<em>PRESIDENT,'<em> my mind needed no further explanation as to what kind of role she played in this orgy of stupidity.

"I'm Alyssa Sears. This is Natsuki Kuga and I'm totally interested in Alpha-Gamma!"

I watched their faces carefully as they looked at each other, exchanging knowing glances before staring me down with obvious expressions of disapproval. It was apparent to me that these girls did not want me around since, unlike Alyssa, I hadn't a famous family name to get my foot in the door. However, my friend was far too caught up in the moment and blissfully unaware of their dislike toward me.

"You're _the_ Alyssa Sears?" the Alpha-Gamma president gasped.

"Guilty…" Alyssa smirked as she replied.

"Oh my goodness - my mother is sisters with your mother! Do you remember me?"

"Oh my god! Is that you Becky?"

Upon realizing their connection, the two stood up and hugged each other with a delightful squeal, and I suddenly felt in that moment that I would throw up everything that I had ever eaten. The inorganic atmosphere to this entire scene left my stomach feeling very unsettled, and the only thought that kept me from retching was the remembrance that this was Alyssa's life, not my own. As I watched the president introduce Alyssa to the rest of her sorority sisters, I took advantage of the opportunity to slip away. I really needed to get to class, I thought to myself, but I also knew that I was not being honest with myself if I continued to pretend that was my only intention. I knew where I truly wanted to go.

As I discretely escaped the bleach-blondes' brainwash marathon, I faded into the crowd and took another look around, still not quite admitting to myself that I was truly in search of a particular booth. Then I saw a single desk with only one girl attending to it. There was no giant, eye-catching banner or fancy frills about the table. It simply had a small sign on it reading _'Alpha-Beta'_ in Greek lettering - a stark contrast to the rather elaborate and mysterious invitation I'd received last night in my dorm room. Once again, I felt a surge of hate flood my being, inexplicable in its origins or the direction it would take me. I'd never before felt hatred toward a single, solitary soul in my life. It was true that I may have disliked my circumstances in which I'd found myself at certain times throughout my life, but to blindly feel the emotion directed at some mysterious group left me puzzled and beyond unsettled. I had always managed to keep a strong handle on my emotions, understanding them to be the cause of chemical reactions in the brain. Even when my mother left me, I rationalized the action on a logical basis which I weighed through a series of pros and cons from what I believed to be her perspective. I still believed human emotion could be explained through science in the end, and that is where my major came into play.

For all that was within me, I could not remember a time when I saw any sign of depression in my father's behavior, even leading up to the very day of his death. I knew in my bones something was amiss and that people did not just kill themselves without some kind of reasoning behind their actions. When I grew older, I searched every library I could find until I stumbled upon one containing the newspaper articles published the day after his suicide. I learned that on the day of his death, six other people also committed suicide, the cited reason being the downsizing of many local jobs and a struggling world economy. I decided I would find the answer to all my questions in biochemistry, and that there would be a scientific answer to all of it. Facts were facts, and there was no changing them.

Tearing my thoughts away from my pensive reflections, I looked on in horror as I watched the girl fold up her chair and begin disassembling her desk. I ran up to the booth, trying not to appear too anxious, and got a better look at the girl running it. Her red hair was cut shoulder length, and her sharp facial features were narrow and slender, complimented by a bright red shirt that read '_Alpha-Beta._' Her jeans hugged her waist tightly, and she appeared almost similar to the mystery woman in the library, yet my instincts told me that I was going to get something completely different from her than a swift kiss on the back of my palm. Upon realizing that she was clearly ignoring me as she packed up, my face curled itself into an apparently annoyed expression, the evidence of her mirrored, equally irritated countenance speaking for itself.

"Whoever you are, we aren't accepting pledges. Feel free to look at our website. Now shove off," snapped the red-haired woman without looking up or breaking away from what she was doing.

Taking the invitation out of my textbook, I held it out in my hand, forcing it into her view and raised one finely pointed eye brow. I must have grabbed her attention.

"Look, we already have all of our members."

"Who said I was joining? I just came back to give you this card and my answer."

"Tch…and I just came here to dye my hair blonde like the rest of the Alpha-Gamma sluts. I don't know where you got that card from, I'm sure it's a fake."

Her voice as drenched in sarcasm, and even her gum popping was so obnoxious that I felt a strong urge to punch her in the throat.

"Look I could do without the smartass comments, OK? I've had a long morning, and being dragged to this shit isn't exactly my idea of a good time!"

I knew I was projecting toward her some of my frustration which stemmed from my mysterious experiences of yesterday, still reeling from unsure emotions and unanswered questions. People skills were not exactly my forte. Even when I had attempted to step out of my shell and get closer to someone, it backfired on me. My thoughts drifted to my first and only boyfriend Akira Hiroshi. We dated for a day only for it to end with violated breasts from clumsy teen hands and a smart slap on the cheek. Never again. I decided to withdraw from people even more after that day. Even still, it wasn't enough distance apparently. I had never felt such a strong, interpersonal pull toward a stranger such as the one I felt drawing me to the chestnut blonde with enigmatic eyes in the library.

Snapping out of my emotional recollection, I realized that I needed to get to class, and every minute counted towards my GPA. I needed to redirect my attention to the cocky red-haired girl in front of me.

"Well no one's forcing you to join! Besides, we don't even know who invited you."

"How the hell should I know? Maybe it was a prank, although the gothic scene is really a joke in itself. Heh, if you're going to pledge to people, try not to make your invitations look like a 90's rip off."

"Why you-"

"Is there a problem here?" inquired a new presence on the scene.

Turning around, I saw a busty, orange-haired woman and suddenly my anger dissipated, seemingly simmering down far below the threshold that it threatened to flow past just moments earlier. Her demeanor was that of a motherly figure, and her aura was simple, reliable, and non-threatening. Straightening myself out, I felt a slight twinge of regret over the circumstance at hand, knowing full well that causing a ruckus with my seniors was something not to be taken lightly. Looking over at her, I noticed the redhead appeared to feel just as guilty as me, if I was correctly in judging the expression on her face, and I felt perhaps I had misjudged her character a bit. Feeling that it was up to me to break the ice, I took it upon myself to speak first as I could tell my debate partner was shit scared.

"I'm sorry. I was explaining to her that I'm not interested in your sorority," I said.

"I see. We have all of our members. Do you mind if I see that card? We have a lot of other sororities that have…" she paused, "more than competitive attitudes towards us."

As I handed her the card, she ran her eyes over it, skillfully examining and deciphering the legitimacy. She then looked over at the redhead, meeting her eyes in a knowing look of excitement. She handed the card back to me.

"It's legit."

"What the hell - how is that card legit?!" asked the red-haired woman, apparently angry at the very idea of it all.

"I just know, Nao."

She turned to me.

"On behalf of Alpha-Beta, I'm sorry for our vice president's outburst. I guess Nao's outspoken nature can get the better of her. I suppose all law majors tend to develop a sense of speech to the injustices and justices of the world, even outside the court room," she explained with a smile.

"I get what you mean. I tend to get into bio-chemistry mode during some situations, but no worries. Not like I'm going to join anyway. I have a lot on my plate this semester."

"Well, you got a card so at least come to opening night and see what we do! Despite the impression Nao may have projected just now, we actually have a cozy little set up. Hey, if you don't like it, you can give back the card with no questions asked, and we won't hound you afterwards."

Upon hearing the kind words, I let down my defenses. Something about this whole experience was new breaking into my usually bleak, morbid style of thinking.

"You said I can leave any time if I don't like it?" I asked.

"Anytime," supplied busty woman.

"Got a pen?"

Nao begrudgingly produced a pen and a sign-in sheet placed atop a clipboard and handed them both to me, and before I thought further about where this all could lead, I signed my life away. I was officially going to attend a sorority meeting.

"_You did what_?! No way!" Alyssa exclaimed.

"_Hey! Keep it down in there!" _a voice from next door screamed, the loudness of Alyssa's voice triggering the banging of the wall from our next-door neighbor. The walls were very thin.

Watching her expression of surprise and giddiness was the climax of my day. After getting out of my classes, I knew that I would need to eventually break to Alyssa the news of my slight interest in Alpha-Beta. All I was waiting for now was the string of _'I told you so_'_s_ from her.

"I knew it!"

"Not this shit again. Look, I'm just going to the meeting to see what they're about. I'm still not joining."

"Sure, whatever. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be Alpha-Beta's bitch in no time," Alyssa joked with a grin, seeing well past my front.

"Speaking of bitches, how was Alpha-Gamma?"

"It was great. Becky said I have to pledge, but really I'm a shoo-in for the spot!"

"Wow, and the hypocrisy turns once again on the thin line of college bimbo life."

"They aren't like that. They are sweet, but you wouldn't know that since you disappeared on me," commented Alyssa with a perfectly prim smile.

"If they are so sweet, how come they looked at me like the plague?"

"What was that?"

"Nothing…"

Alyssa laid on her stomach on the floor, resting her elbows on a pillow as she supported her chin on her palm heels and looked up at me. I took my usual seat at my desk, mulling over my chemistry assignment that I was bound to complete, as well as Sunday's reading material.

"So, are you going to find out who gave you the card?"

"Maybe. I was hoping you could guide me with some of this crap so I won't look too lost."

"Hmm…well I don't know much about Alpha-Beta, but they follow the rules like the rest of the sororities. I'm sure you'll meet the person that called for you. Afterward, if you attend the next meeting, they will discuss fees and things like that. Then after that, it's pledge time. That's when you sell your soul and guard the secrets along with your sisters."

"There's a fee?"

"Yep!"

"Sounds like extortion."

"From what I heard, it's taken out of your financial aid and it's only up to a semester. I heard Alpha-Beta's fee is the cheapest one."

"Well, that's a relief. Is that why they limit everyone? Because of the fees?"

"Everyone assumes that, but I don't have the answer to that really."

"So much for finding out the big secret. Well it doesn't matter to me. Hell, it's not like I'm going to join anyway."

"Yeah right, I'm sure you're going to be one of those hardcore, Alpha-Beta enforcers."

"Yea right…"

Just then I got an email from an unknown source. As I read it, my eyes widened with shock.

_I know about your father. If you want to discover the mystery to his death, meet me in the next ten minutes by the school fountain._

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><p><em><strong>AN: That is it for this chapter now I leave the rest to my beta thanks Amanda.<strong>_


	3. Abnormalize Part 3

_**AN: Hey, I noticed that this story didn't say Shizuru and Natsuki pairing on FF. Net so I changed it over. **_**_Thank you Amanda for being my BETA._**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-Hime**

**Warnings: Futanari story Vampire-Demon story with smut-like references.**

"**Talking"**

"**_Thinking or P.O.V"_**

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><p>My lungs pumped so hard that I felt they would burst at any given moment as I ran toward the fountain, ignoring the cold fall wind and the chilly nighttime air around me. Its dampness wet my hoodie as I launched myself forward with the fountain now in sight. As I arrived, panting and breathless, I leaned against the fountain's stone edge, bracing myself against its strength. The stillness around me caused a shiver to run down my spine as did the drop of sweat trickling down toward my waistline. The light posts surrounding the courtyard were the only source of light, the stars shielding their eyes against the city lights hours ago. The lackluster lighting made it difficult to see properly, and I wondered if a campus security guard would be nearby at this hour, patrolling as usual. I preferred not to be caught after hours, knowing that a curfew violation would not look good on my record.<p>

I flicked my eyes toward the left, instinctively not flinching, yet detecting a mysterious presence. Then I felt my stomach turn after a moment upon seeing a security guard uniform on the stranger and a flashlight being shined in my direction. I squinted my eyes from the harsh glow of the flashlight, noting the light blue dress shirt, dark blue tie, pants and shiny black boots of the typical campus security uniform. Yet for all his normalcy, something was strange and out of place about this person. As I searched his face for a clue to his intentions, my throat hardened and my mouth became dry. I watched a slow smile spread across his scruffy face, his brown, shaggy hair appearing untidy and disarrayed. My pulse quickened at the thought of being backed into a self-inflicted corner, knowing that I had come for answers but instead may have earned myself a strike on my record for violating curfew. But I would run like hell if I had to, especially from some nobody campus security rip off.

"What are you doing here this late?" he asked, his voice perhaps as gruff as his hair was unkempt.

"S-Sorry, I was going to head out to the store. I needed a ruler for my homework."

"The store is closed at this hour Ms. Kuga."

My breath hitched. Instinctively, I stepped forward and hardened my fists, looking into his eyes as I readied myself, though for what I knew not. This man knew my name and that was enough cause for alarm and confusion. I knew I had to ask.

"Are you the one who sent the email?"

I stood my ground, readying myself for the important conversation that I had been preparing for over the years since my father's death.

"Strange for a princess to be out here without her Knight, especially since your father was a grandmaster Templar," he said nonchalantly, as he placed his free hand on his hip and raked his eyes over me from head to toe, his smartass smirk never leaving his face.

"I thought you would know better," he continued. "Well it's better this way you know. Despite being sent back to hell for this, I can get one last snack. It's a shame that she hasn't fed from you yet. You might've been spared."

"W-What do you mean grandmaster Templar?! What do you know about my father - tell me!"

I had no idea what he was talking about – the Knight, Templar, princesses or someone '_feeding'_ from me. All I cared about in this array of nonsense was what he knew about my father.

I lunged toward him in anger, frantically grasping at the air as he was suddenly out of my reach before I felt myself thrown backward with some kind of violent gust or supernatural force. My body was lifted from the ground as I was flung backward, crashing into a nearby wooden bench and breaking it in half. I felt the air propelled from my lungs and my abdomen screamed in pain at the snapping of ribs and the pain in my lower spine. If I'd had any breath in me to yell at my attacker, I would have, but as I lay there on the ground, it was all I could to simply keep my eyes open and watch these events unfold around me.

His twisted face became even more distorted and suddenly I understood why he seemed so eerily out of place. His true form became more apparent as horns emerged, breaking through his skin to reveal six sharp points amidst mangled flesh that then hung loosely around his ugly face. The largest pair of horns adorned his forehead and his sharp fangs hung over his fattened lower lip in a severe overbite, while his claws extended themselves from gnarled fingers, growing to a staggering length in their blackened horror. This creature was no longer human and far from it: he stood seven feet high, naked and slobbering as his muscles contorted and bulged, the veins protruding under his skin, threatening to burst past their leathery barrier.

He made his way toward me and I cringed to hear his claws scrape on the ground at such an offensive, audible frequency. His smell was almost as putrid as his appearance as he came closer to my struggling body.

I attempted to pick myself up but fell back with a thud against the wrecked bench, my injuries too great to accommodate my commands of escape. I pushed myself up once more, only to stumble and fall as splinters of the bench pierced my palms and I grit my teeth as I felt that death would surely overtake me. Blood spewed from my mouth as I lay there and I fought to ensure it didn't make its way into my lungs as I gasped for breath. I looked on as seven other figures of similar form emerged from the shadows, seemingly drawn from nowhere, or perhaps from another realm, and their sloppy, twisted bodies all approached and stood around me, salivating and hungry. Tears came to my eyes as my leg was pulled, hoisting me upside down and dangling into the air. I was face to face with the original demonic attacker and his disgusting breath burned my skin slightly as he spoke with a gruff voice.

"Now look what your scent has done, you've attracted the rest of my pack! Now I have to share – uh, what's this?"

As my grandmother's Rosary exposed itself from my shirt, hanging upside down with me, I felt anger at the notion of it being violated by these filthy creatures more than I felt pity at my current situation and probable death by way of demonic consumption. If I was going to die, it wouldn't be without my Rosary. Even if they were to be the last words to end my young adult life, I'd fight to keep their meaty hands away. Inside though, I was praying for a miracle.

"If you're going to kill me then do it, but don't you dare ever touch my grandmothers rosary you fucking filth!" I screamed at them with all the life left within me.

The demon paused, surprise registering across its wretched face before he broke into roars of sadistic laughter as it reached with large clawed hand for the small objected around my neck. The beast squeezed my leg tighter, snapping my leg like a twig and I screamed in agony, the pain speaking volumes of irreparable damage. Still, I could not give up. I had so much left unfinished.

"Ugh…I said back the fuck off!"

Suddenly I fell to the ground, landing on my head, completing the circle of full assault to the one body part which had thus far managed to dodge being directly hit. I was quickly distracted from this, as my eyes snapped open and I heard the demon screech in pain. His arm lay beside him, apparently having been severed in one fell swoop. Blood spewed from his open wound on his shoulder where his arm once connected, his scream of agony piercing the cold night air. Not a soul stirred to investigate the noises in the courtyard the entire time this scene unfolded, and I wondered how it could be that no one cared. His voice shook the very ground and thundered in my ears.

In a haze I saw a glint of moonlight flash atop the glaze of shiny black wings, fully opened in their glorious, charcoal splendor. I could only see the backside of this newcomer on the scene, but the familiarity of her aura washed over me while her tawny locks fell softly down her bare shoulders and backside. A red bra wrapped itself around her upper torso, clasped at the back and she wore only jeans above bare feet. In that moment, I blacked out and felt the darkness beckoning me, enveloping my soul in azure comfort; in this darkness, I could hear sounds, voices, distant conversations.

"_What the hell, is this kid stupid or what! Astral projecting at this time a night!"_

"_Shhh…she'll hear you. We have to get her back to her body. I just hope she can go back. Her soul is pretty damaged."_

"_Tch…she'll heal. As for that pack back there, who the hell do you think could have done that? Those marks on those bodies? Those were made by a Knight! What the fuck is a Knight doing here? I thought they don't deal with humans, especially ones like her. The only Knight we know is Fujino."_

"_I don't know Nao, we are almost here now."_

My eyes snapped open and sweat rested in beads on my brow as I shot up in my bed. I checked my body noting each injury I remembered receiving in great detail, seemingly just moments before. Everything was healed. I threw back the covers and checked my leg. I wiggled my toes to see that every body part seemed to function normally. What happened to me last night I did not know, but the surroundings of my dorm room brought me back to reality as I noticed the morning light creeping in through my window. It was around six thirty on Tuesday and I took stock of my clothing as I crawled out of bed in confusion. I was in nothing more than a sports bra and ripped jeans, but other than that, nothing seemed to be out of place. Then it hit me: my grandmother's Rosary - it was gone.

I searched the area, looking everywhere I could think of that would possibly lead to the discovery of the missing Rosary. I noticed Alyssa, sound asleep and oblivious in the bed on the other side of the room, and felt a sense of envy at her ability to sleep through an earthquake before turning my attention to a note that had been apparently slid under my door during the night. I was so upset about my grandma's Rosary that I could barely focus on reading the words in the letter as I opened it and attempted to digest its meaning. Had someone taken the Rosary from me during the night? Was it a prank of some kind? Who would do such a thing? If Alpha-Beta was behind it, they would all live to regret ever stealing it from me in their immature plot to annoy me.

I remembered having it on me at all times, except during showers. I tried to push my anger away, as I needed to focus, and my eyes widened as I noticed the same elegant writing on this letter as was on the card I'd received from Alpha-Beta, only this one wasn't written in wax. The same scent arose from the paper as the words sent my heart racing and my arousal soaring.

_Dear Ms. Kuga,_

_It has come to my attention that I have something that belongs to you. I will be in office 27 in the science department._

_Shizuru Fujino_

That name..._Fujino_.

I knew my dream was no dream. I felt it in my bones. I knew by biochemistry standards that the brain tended to shut down most memories of dreams, barring them behind some neurological blockades. I knew that dreams were thoughts carried over into REM sleep, emotions and actions from days past reacting with the long and short-term memory sequences. I knew the all the scientific facts about how dreams worked. I knew! And yet, I struggled to comprehend the feelings of reality regarding my inexplicable encounter of what seemed to be only an hour ago. It felt strange and although my body was fine, something inside felt damaged, almost painful at that moment as I recalled the voices that I'd heard after I blacked out.

"_Shhh…she'll hear you, we have to get her back to her body I just hope she can go back her soul is pretty damaged."_

I found myself mulling over questions for which I had no answers, and for the first time I was faced with uncertainties for which science could not solve. I had always been so sure of my own convictions and abilities, but this time I felt myself wavering, almost as if I were a shadow amidst shadows.

I had to hurry and find out what was going on. I zipped an old hoodie up over my bra-clad chest, not giving much care to being shirtless. I slipped on my tennis shoes without socks and burst out of my dorm room and into the hall in a flash, hell bent on rushing to office 27 in the science building.

My feet hit the pavement just outside of the dorms and I ran with much fervor through the courtyard where I'd been assaulted just hours ago. Nothing seemed out of place: no downed signs, light poles, broken benches, or cracked ground. I continued my sprint to the science department, the building now within my line of sight. As I stood there gasping to catch my breath in front of office number 27, leaning on the door frame for support, I wondered what part this visit might play in solving the mystery of the last night.

**_Knock_**

"Come in…"

An affluent Kyoto accent made its way to my ears through the door and as I turned the knob and viewed the scene before me, I couldn't help but stare at the lone figure sitting at the desk in the stately office. She was the woman from the library. Once again she wore dark jeans which hugged her figure in the most infuriatingly sexual manner, and only a black tank tee concealed her upper half. A Celtic rosary clenched snug around her throat, the choker boasting such a dark shade of red that it appeared to become black as the rays of light hit it from different directions.

Her strong arms were not bulky but defined and lean, very natural in appearance, and I felt a knot in my throat as I realized my lips hung just slightly open. I had forgotten my manners, and it dawned on me that I should be more respectful toward a faculty member, considering my potential need for a referral in the future. So many thoughts from the library scene of days prior raced through my head and the familiar feeling of lust rose within me once again.

I leaned against the door after I closed it, unsure of how to approach the woman before me.

"Hello Fujino-sensei… sorry if this is a bad time I-"

"I believe this is yours…" she said in a calm voice as she got up and walked around the desk toward me. In her fingers she held my Rosary, the beads held securely in her balled-up fingers and the cross dangling just below her wrist. I reached out to take it from her but instead found myself caught up in an unexpected embrace, her body pressed against mine with a fire both hot and cold at the same time.

"I have travelled all this way to see you, princess. I have missed you so much," she whispered as she brought our faces closer together.

Pushing her off of me in a sudden feeling of panic, I then felt her push me back against the door, understanding a carnal need within me better than I did, and her face disappeared from my line of sight as she nuzzled my neck. I felt her thigh push up between my own legs and I inhaled sharply as I felt a stiffness press against me. I did not even want to know. I fought to return to my senses.

"Let me go! I'm not your fucking princess - I'm Natsuki! Got it? Natsuki." I finally pushed her off successfully only to see her kneel down, very similar to a knight.

_This again?_

I was dumbfounded.

"Kannin na, I forget myself."

She offered up my Rosary as she knelt, and after I took it from her fingers, I cautiously walked over to the desk and placed it on the wooden surface, trusting my own shaky fingers to do little else.

"Why are you still on the ground?"

"I have yet to earn your forgiveness, and inasmuch as I have offended you, I will remain like this until you command me to do otherwise."

I flicked my hair over my shoulder nervously.

"Um, it's cool, just don't surprise me like that."

She then stood and smiled at me with such genuine affection that it felt almost as if her dark demeanor was replaced by a lighthearted one, and I became aware of how my heart lifted at the way her eyes danced as she looked at me. However, I came here for more than just my grandma's Rosary, and I had two hours before my first class started. I could tell this woman was more than just your average person, far outside of the norm, and I wasn't leaving without answers.

"You want answers."

"How did you…"

"I can read your mind," she said as her smile never left her face. She seemed graceful as she spoke. Even when she blinked, it was sensual. "Yes I am the Fujino whose name you may recall from the voices in the night, and your experience wasn't your imagination nor was it a dream."

"W-What? Was all that I saw…it-it was real?" I stammered.

"Yes, it was real as you say, but from a different perspective, naturally. Last night you left your body. Are you familiar with astral projections?" she asked as she folded her arms in front of her body at the waist.

"N-No...I know the Chinese have something along the lines of astral projection in their spiritual beliefs, but I never read into it very far. Besides, I don't see where any of this is going, I have to leave."

Yes, I wanted answers, but this was a lot to handle, and I'd felt myself becoming uncomfortable under her gaze, feeling it turning dark again as we spoke. I turned to leave, knowing that whatever this conversation had to offer seemed like something that was best kept dormant.

"You want to find who killed your father."

I turned around slowly, feeling myself being pulled back into the conversation, and I removed my hand from the doorknob as I did so. I wondered who this woman was and fear rose up within me as questions flooded my hazed mind. Her eyes turned from brown to red once more, and this time I was absolutely certain that I was witnessing the transformation in front of me.

_Is she that thing from last night?_

"I can assure you I am not that monster from last night. What you encountered was a dethroned knight. Six of them, actually," she explained.

"W-What…"

"You're confused and that is natural. It seems your father and mother did not tell you of your duties, my princess. You see, your bloodline is important since you are the guardian to an ancient order, one bound by contract to my race. You are a princess to the Templar order."

That moment was a pivotal point in my life. Up until that day, I'd relied on science, but science couldn't explain the events of the last 24 hours. I was bewildered by the news which was unfolding to me, but before I could decide how I felt about any of it, I felt myself suddenly pushed downward onto the floor, my head never hitting it since it was cradled in one of Fujino-sensei's capable hands. She laid me down swiftly but in the gentlest manner, and I was so taken aback that I forgot to voice any form of protest. As I opened my mouth to say something - _anything!_ - my breath caught up in my throat and I felt a cold pleasurable sensation on my neck. My vision went blurry as I looked back at the desk toward where I'd left my Rosary. I shuddered at the thought of this woman kissing me, but as I felt her teeth sink deliciously into the flesh of my neck, I realized what was happening. She wasn't kissing me. She was biting me.

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><p><strong><em>AN: Read and review as well as thank you to all that are sticking up for me it helps me to think clearly.<em>**


	4. Sensitize Part 1

_**AN: Thank you Amanda she's my beta ^_^**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-Hime**

**Warnings: Futanari story Vampire-Demon story with smut-like references.**

"**Talking"**

"**_Thinking or P.O.V"_**

* * *

><p>I lay there in silence, mouth agape, trapped under the weight of Fujino-sensei's body, arms pinned above my head to the floor as she clutched me by the wrists with just one hand. Slowly, she withdrew her mouth from my neck and unclasped my wrists, and a war rose up within me as I tried to decide if I was relieved or disappointed that I felt her form change positions into hovering above me on all fours, looking down into my barely open eyes. A thin line of blood trickled down a corner of her mouth and I watched as a red tongue darted out to lap at the crimson liquid, never breaking eye contact with me before she broke into a wicked grin. I touched my neck in shock only to discover there was no sign of blood when I pulled back my hand to examine it.<p>

In one swift motion she was off of me and I was lifted into a standing position, the tightness of my solid and clenched muscles aiding her in doing so. She walked over toward the desk and pulled out a red, button-up shirt from a hidden, built-in wardrobe inside the wall behind it. As she pulled it on and buttoned it up, it became obvious to me that she would offer no explanation for what just happened, or perhaps she was waiting for me to ask questions. Everything she did was maddeningly slow.

"What the fuck did you do?" I shouted, pushing aside my confused arousal. I came wanting answers, but now had more questions than ever.

"I fed," she said, as if that was just the most normal thing in the world. "It is your duty as a princess to feed your Knight, and now that I have fed from you, we are entered into a blood contract which was drawn up by your father before your birth."

She leaned her weight slightly to one side with her hand on her hip, the other turned outward and gesturing as if teaching a lesson.

"Fujino-sensei-"

"Shizuru."

"Wha-?"

"You may refer to me by my first name when we are alone, Natsuki," she explained before tilting her head a bit and adding, "_which I hope will be often_."

I shook my head, more in communication to myself than to her - _Shizuru._

"What do you mean there was a contract drawn up by my father? **What contract!?**"

Shizuru sat down at her desk and placed her hands in front of her before gesturing to a chair facing her, beckoning me to take a seat. The oversized leather furniture swallowed me up and I felt sheepish upon realizing that I was making quite a few squeaky noises as I settled down into its cushiony excess. All the while, Shizuru watched me with a most amused look on her face, almost as if she fought to conceal a wide smile or perhaps she was delighted at the things she knew which I did not. She leaned back in her chair and studied me, and perhaps it was my imagination, but I felt her cockiness was partly a result of her triumph over my body just moments ago. I wanted her hands on me and she knew it.

_She can read my thoughts. _

I averted my eyes upon remembering this and attempted to slow my heart rate and heavy breathing.

_But God she is sexy._

I knew school came first, and no matter what, she was a teacher, and I was still a student.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before leading me into a wild story of history, religion and otherworldly powers. She took on a placid look as she explained it all.

"If you are familiar with history, Natsuki, you will recall hearing about the Templars. The Templars were knights that originally fought for a safe pilgrimage into Jerusalem. However, after years of fighting in the Middle East and ownership of the Holy Land being handed back and forth between factions, the mysteries and finances of the Knights of the Templars dwindled significantly before vanishing due to underhanded political motivations and pressures from the Vatican. That is what history tells us."

Shizuru cleared her throat before continuing on and I felt myself drawn and connected to her every word.

"But the remaining Knights went underground. A secret society was formed from what was already a covert group of individuals. A pact was formed between _them_ and between _us_. Originally the pact was made for the Knights to channel us in order exact revenge upon those who sought to kill their brethren, those bandits who slaughtered them like dogs or burned them at the stake. Shortly before King Philip IV of France died after a hunting accident, the last openly remaining knights were disposed of, but still the Knights' numbers were not completely eradicated as they built an underground fortress. The remaining grandmasters hid until their dying days, and thus you now know how and why our pact was formed."

"They channeled _you_, you said? What are you?"

"Ara, so impatient," she said, expecting the question. "I'm getting to that point, but this history lesson is not over, my dear Natsuki. Centuries passed. Grandmaster Templars died, passing on what secrets they still held to the next generations within their families. In those years of healing, as they remained out of sight, the Vatican made peace with the Knights, but still disapproved of their association with us. The Knights still sought out our assistance in various matters, in spite of the Vatican's request to expel us from this world. With the Knights' abilities dwindling, they'd forgotten how to expel us as generations passed, but they did not want to sever the bond we'd created, even if they could remember how. And so a system was put into practice: instead of feeding off whomever we desired and to prove that we weren't ravenous beasts without a cause, contracts would be drawn up between the Templar Knights and our bloodline for us to feed off particular human women. And now we have the agreement of Knights and Princesses."

"P-Princess- I'm not who you think I am! Stop pretending you know me so well. And besides, you still haven't told me exactly what you are!"

"You cannot escape your fate. It was a deal made long ago and before your time by the Grand Masters and the Master Vampires of the four hemispheres within this realm you call earth. With the new generation and technology in place, there was no need for the Templar order and thus it has been diminished, but to honor their memory and sacrifices, we have now taken up the role of guardianship of the secrets of the order. We guard both the very women from which we feed and the secrets of the Catholic church, though we are at odds with them," she went on as she folded the fingers of both hands together and propped her chin up on them, resting her elbows upon the desk's surface. "Now, to explain the answer to your question in the most easily understood fashion, we are demons. However, the folklore and movies surrounding us may lead you to call us vampires."

"So…why are you here exactly?" I asked, feeling that my level of shock could not possibly reach beyond the massive height from which it currently teetered.

"Just as with any of my kind, I'm here to survive. However, I am also here for you. Your father was the last Grand Master Templar within the eastern hemisphere and there are no more Templars of the current generation. His death was not a stroke of bad luck nor was it the result of depression. The court has been looking into this matter for quite some time. Nothing has turned up yet. You may be interested to know about his past. His ability to acquire the mastery of Templar secrets came from your his marriage to your mother. The Templars always served as a sort of buffer between the Vatican and ourselves, but now that your father is gone, there is no one to take up the cause. This situation gives rise for the need to inform you, Natsuki Kuga, of the special abilities which you possess. You have the power to end the war with the Vatican."

"I'm just a fucking college student - last night was something that shouldn't have happened!" I spat, now feeling helplessly involved in a situation in which I wanted no part. No one ever asked me how I felt about any of this.

"Your ability to astral project is what makes you so very special. Last night was just the beginning of that power. Now we are entered into a bond, my dear Natsuki, and your father knew about this ability of yours, which is why he called upon me to protect you. In turn, it was agreed that you would serve as my princess. You may not approve of your not being consulted on this matter, but astral projecting is both a danger to you and those around you if you do not learn to control it. You should know that your mother has the same ability, but she is now a holy woman residing in Rome, and I am not welcome to even so much as set foot upon their sacred ground, unless I am prepared for war."

"I'm confused. What's this all mean? You can't just say that my father was in some old order, and it has to do with demons and Templars and the Catholic Church just like that, and expect me to understand all this. Besides there is no scientific evidence that any of this exists! My father died because something wasn't right, but this goes way off the line of reality."

I folded my arms in front of my chest and pushed my legs defiantly together while tightly gripping my hoodie with balled up fingers. I was reminded that I had thrown my hoodie carelessly over my bra-clad chest without the addition of a shirt, and I grew nervous upon remembering that.

_And Shizuru knows now, because I actually thought about it._

I sighed.

Surprisingly, her thoughts and words seemed to remain focused on the more important matter at hand.

"Do you believe in the reality that is front of you, or do you believe in the reality that you have been taught? One can turn to the existence of God for a more familiar example. He is very real to those who believe in him, although they cannot hear or see him, nor deduce his will for their lives. Yet for them, it is their reality. It is similar to what you experienced last night. You may not have been in physical danger, but last night was your reality and what you experienced was real, though not everyone would have been able to see the events. It is how the underworld works. I am just as real. I am Shizuru Fujino, leader of the eastern hemisphere of the Knights and I now hold such a position over the western hemisphere as well. In addition, I am of one of the four great families of the underworld."

Fear, anger, desperation, and bewilderment flooded my mind and I felt myself becoming enraged at the very notion that I would be a tool in this game of vampires, families and destinies. It made me want to pull my hair out and scream. I felt like a fool within a play, a butt of some cruel joke wherein Shizuru Fujino had all the winning cards within her hand, and had every comeback prepared ahead of time for each of my unspoken thoughts, which annoyed me to no end. None of this could be real! I knew it _couldn't_ be real, so I reacted as any sane, logical human would: with hysterics and disbelief.

"What the fuck! How do they hire someone like you here at the school, anyway? I'm going to report you to the dean!"

"You can do that, certainly, but I assure you that it would do you no good, for I am the sole owner of this school. He knows his position under me very well, and understands his place in all of this. Try if you must. You are still my student," she replied, chin still resting upon her fingers.

"Wait, so you're the owner of the school and you teach here too? Who does that, anyway?" I snapped back at her. I felt anxious to unload a whirlwind of hurtful words on the nearest person, and it just happened to be her.

"I do," she answered, perhaps a little too quickly. "I have put these plans in motion, fully intending to see them through, and I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Now that you are here, you are my student," she reminded me, "and you will learn more in due time."

"Student…what do you mean by s-student?"  
><em>Oh no - I'd forgotten about the email sent to me which I'd read in the library signed Shizuru Fujino at the bottom. I must look like a fool.<em>

"You are in my class this Sunday - Paranormal Myth 201," she giggled, understanding my confusion.

I felt like the biggest idiot in school at that moment. I should have known who she was all along. Up until that moment, she'd only been _'the woman from the library who I then knew to be Shizuru Fujino,'_ but I had forgotten the signature on the email welcoming me to the Paranormal Myth 201 class. I knew that if I dropped the class, my transcript would not be as solid, or my GPA might suffer if I surpassed the deadline to drop the course. Either way, none of my options seemed particularly bright. I was in a difficult situation and Alpha-Beta only complicated things. I attempted to avert my attention once again to the woman in front of me, and what role she played in my life.

"There is no way that a freak like you should be teaching any of my classes!" I shot back.

But saying those words didn't feel nearly as gratifying as I thought it would. My anger sank into my stomach as I immediately registered the hurt in Shizuru's red eyes. I guess she couldn't read my thoughts if I did not think before I spoke.

_And not thinking before you speak is a problem..._

Such a countenance did not belong on such a face as hers. I knew I'd hit a sore spot in her feelings, and I couldn't explain why I felt a pain in my chest just witnessing the sudden change in her demeanor and expression, however brief it may have been.

The silence which followed hung heavily over us both, blanketing us in its depths of bleakness. I waited for her to end me, reminded that she could most certainly do it without blinking. I saw what she'd done last night, or at least I saw enough to know her abilities. If I had been on the receiving end of such blunt, malicious words, I would have reached right across and delivered a smart slap across the cheek. But as I watched her and searched her face, she patiently gathered herself back up and spoke once more.

"No matter how you may feel about this, princess, you are under not only my watch, but also the keen eye of a select group of important and capable individuals. It is for your protection. You may not want to be drawn into this, but that decision was made long ago when you inherited your powers. You can either deal with it on your own and live a very short life without answers, or you can accept the protection which I have offered you long before you knew of the need for it. It is for you that I have done so many things; you simply do not know it yet. You would do well to remember that."

"Is that a threat?" I accused before I swallowed hard. I wasn't sure whether I should be flattered or intimidated, but it was better to keep my guard up rather than let myself be touched at her words, knowing that any person that I let get close to me could result in hurt once they were ripped away from me. Such was my life up until then.

"No, it is not a threat, but I will not have myself openly mocked within a court of my brethren due to my inability to protect what is mine. I am a knight, and my honor will not let me allow you to slip through my fingers. More importantly, your wellbeing is at stake. This experience, Natsuki, can be a good or a bad one, depending on where you go from here. You will find that being a vampire's princess can have its advantages as well as its...hmmm, pleasures." Her eyes flashed just briefly as she trailed off and breathed the last word much hidden emphasis.

"Whatever. I'm out of here. This is bullshit." I retorted, very unhappy at my body's response to her last words. My head may have been forcing my body up from my squeaky leather chair before heading to the door, but everything else within me screamed for me to stay.

"Natsuki," Shizuru called, barely above a whisper. It sounded like a plea.

I turned around only to realize I'd left my grandma's Rosary on the desk, which she now held in her hand once more. It was the very reason I had come into this room to begin with, and there I was about to leave it – again! Shizuru stood now, leaning amusedly against her desk with a smile. She only _sounded_ sad as she said my name, playing on my emotions and knowing it would get me to turn around. She knew how to manipulate me! The very idea caused my face to start burning.

I marched over to her, snatching it from her fingers before she snaked an arm around my waist, pulling my body flush against hers and her face close to mine. She tilted my chin and looked into my eyes.

"You are mine, Natsuki, even if you don't know it yet."

My legs could not run fast enough. I burst out of the door and in a haze, the halls, courtyard, fountain and benches blurring past me. I ran to the safety of my dorm room with my face still on fire from Shizuru's words.

I landed in bed face first with my fists pounding themselves into my pillow, seemingly of their own accord. For the first time in my life, I felt like just skipping class. There was no possible way that I would be able to focus today. Tonight's Alpha-Beta meeting was scheduled for six o'clock and I knew there would be yet more answers that I needed to unravel. I could only hope that the answers would be logical and humane. I wished for sanity and I wanted my old life back...the one I'd had just a couple of days ago before all this bullshit.

I let out a series of small groans before picking myself up off the bed and pacing the floor like a nervous cat. It felt as if I would hallow out a pathway into the floor as I rubbed my grandmother's Rosary and I silently prayed. I was never one for prayer before, but I sure could use something - anything! - to hear my plea and for all of this to just go away. I looked at the clock on my desk. Class was now only thirty minutes away, and I jumped at the sudden sound of my door opening. Alyssa entered, oblivious to my currently frantic state of mind, wearing only a towel as she had just exited the showers. I knew I had to ask her.

She spoke first.

"Hey knock out queen, how did you sleep?" she asked as she brushed her hair.

My thoughts swam with memories of last night. I needed to find out what went on from her perspective. I remembered the email that I received and it was as if there was a force beckoning me to check my inbox again. But first I needed to find out what happened. As I attempted to gather my thoughts, Alyssa changed into her clothes, not caring that I was getting a free show. She wasn't my type anyway, and she knew it.

"I slept well. So well, in fact, that I can't even remember what happened. Did I go out anywhere last night?"

Alyssa shook her head with a confused look on her face before replying.

"No, you just crashed right after you took a shower. You didn't even bother to dress yourself in your PJs, just your underwear. Why, did something happen?"

"Um, no I just had a strange dream last night. Nothing to be concerned about. Well I better leave for class now," I said, attempting to be as casual as possible. Having her realize that I was insane was the last thing I needed.

Before leaving, I unzipped my hoodie and threw on a random, crumpled up t shirt from a pile of laundry which was clean but unfolded as was most of my laundry, and I slipped back into my hoodie as I raced out of the door, backpack in hand.

The day wore on and I stared out of the window in my classroom, slumped down in my desk as I succumbed to the notion that my desire to return back to normal life was no longer within the realm of reality.

With my class over, I dragged myself up to the desk at the front to turn in my homework atop the pile of other students' assignments in front of the teacher.

"Ms. Kuga," my teacher spoke up as I turned to leave.

I felt like a sloppy mess and hated for attention to be drawn to my poor appearance as my clothes hung loosely on my body and one strap of my backpack dug into my shoulder. I thought sitting at the back would help me melt into the crowd like camouflage, but I guess I was wrong.

"Yes Mankato-sensei?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes...I know I don't look it, just a lack of sleep I guess is to blame. I was up reading and researching on the biometrics lecture you have in the spring."

"I see. Keen as always Ms. Kuga. This brings me to my next point," he smiled. "That biometrics lecture in which you seem so interested? Well, I talked it over with the board in the science department and the decision was unanimous. You are hereby invited to attend the lecture. It seems someone really is pushing for you to attend! This is a real honor as most of our gifted seniors fight to get in, and some still do not get to attend without the proper recommendations."

I could not believe what my ears were hearing. The biometrics lecture from Mankato-sensei was the event of a lifetime! He was on the cutting edge of technological advancements within his field and within the scientific community, not to mention one of the reasons I applied to this university. Many within my major wished to attend, but with only three sots available per class, only a few could attend. The recommendations to get on the list were nearly impossible to acquire. Maintaining a top GPA was not enough; you had to earn recommendations from at least five professors, each with their strict nature and demanding intern work required to reach those said recommendations. Most dropped out of the program before they finished.

Taking his hand in mine, I shook it gratefully as if he had just handed me the world. This was the sense of normalcy that I wanted for myself and in that moment, I forgot all about Templars, demons, astral projections, and wars, and I returned back to reality. The reality that I wanted to choose for myself.

"Thank you so much Mankato-sensei! I won't let you down!" I gushed. "Do you know the professor that pushed for my initial attendance?"

"Hmmm...Oh yes, it was Fujino-sensei that recommended you."

I felt the blood drain from my face as my smile faltered in its strength. I came crashing back down from my height among the clouds. If she pushed for my attendance, did it mean she was manipulating me into doing what she wanted me to do for her purposes? Or was it because she simply knew that I was interested and she unselfishly pulled some strings for me? I didn't know whether I should be happy or scream.

"Is something wrong Ms. Kuga?"

"No-nothing-I mean, thank you for the information and I hope to live up to your expectations."

"No problem. Now we don't start until spring. Just keep your GPA up this semester and you're in. Here is the form. I expect to have it back by our next class meeting," he replied, extending to me the proper papers for the event. I took them with shaky fingers and slipped them securely into a folder in my backpack.

The old man turned around to tend to his desk and it was then that I could feel someone watching me. I turned my head slightly to catch a glimpse of lime green eyes glaring at me from around the edge of the doorway. I immediately felt a sense of irritation overtake me and I flicked my hair over my shoulder. I could feel her attitude from several meters away. I was reminded that Shizuru had to have an involvement in all of this: my classes, my invitation to the lecture, my invitation to Alpha-Beta, and possibly even this girl Nao who was currently stalking me at the end of my class.

Whatever she was up to, I wanted nothing to do with it.

"Thank you. I'll have this filled out by next class."

I threw my backpack over my shoulder once again and made my way out of the door, realizing Nao was no longer where I'd spotted her just moments before. I looked around me and down the hall before turning my eyes up toward the top of the large staircase at the end of the hall. She was still watching me, and I was slightly disappointed that she hadn't given up on talking to me, clearly picking me out of the crowd which now swarmed the hall in a massive flood of students seeking out their next class. She knew where I was headed next as I would need to use that very staircase next.

_No surprises there. _

I rolled my eyes and took the bait, knowing I could not prolong the inevitable.

As I passed by her, she grabbed my arm.

"We need to talk."

A few minutes later, we sat outside of the cafeteria at a small table under a massive umbrella aside a window to a local student cafe. Nao seemed unfazed by the sun, and so that settled one of my questions about vampires, for I assumed by now that she was one. Why did I feel so differently about Shizuru than I did Nao, though? I felt fleeting flashes of confusion, want, and arousal for Shizuru, but felt vexed and troubled around Nao.

She sipped her plain coffee in a pair of black jeans and a black V-neck t shirt, and I made the further assessment that black must be the color for Alpha-Beta to wear. I would hardly admit to myself that I slightly found it to be kind of cool on others, but it wasn't for me.

"Why don't you tell me what you want, or why I'm sitting here with you right now, silent and bored?"

"Is that any way for you to talk to your future sister?" she asked with an obnoxiously sweet expression plastered across her face.

"I told you: I'm not going to join. I'm just going to look and that's it. Besides, I have questions for you."

"Questions, huh? I don't believe you're in the right position to be asking questions of me. You are not my princess, and I don't believe I should feel obligated to answer to your questions, _human_. I think you should consider what's on the line here. Fujino pulled that deal for you, and you're just a freshman. Not many freshman get into that class. Whatever Shizuru did to get you in it wasn't easy. She must have known it was important to you so she pulled some strings."

"So bribing me is a way to get me in," I stated, feeling it was a matter of fact now fixated in my mind rather than a question.

"Are you always this stupid, or is today just a special day? We aren't forcing you to do anything. The deal is simple - you allow your Knight to feed off of you and the Order takes care of both you and your education. Anything you need, we provide. Simple as that. An opportunity for you to see all these benefits will be laid out in the meeting."

"Benefits?" I nearly choked on the word. "Are you seriously asking me to become vampire food for an education?" I knew I couldn't be loud considering our rather conspicuous location around many other students scattered about the tables outside the cafe. I watched Nao's cocky smile spread across her face which only pissed me off even more.

"Like I said before, _human_, no one is forcing you to do shit. And no, it's not just for 'education' as you said. You know good and damn well that Fujino will be protecting you. Now you can always go the other route such as those who live in fear, and go blab your discoveries to the world. You can go shout it out to everyone you know, but we always have a way of covering that up."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple. Those demons that you encountered during your little midnight run last night? We could just leave you to them. Just to let you know, if your soul is killed, your body will die as well and we won't come to save you no matter what, so I suggest that you keep all this new knowledge that you've learned within the past twenty four hours to yourself, and don't go telling tall tales any time soon. Try to go with the flow. It'll be a lot easier that way. Besides, what more could you lose? You'll won't suffer the same pains of daily life that you've suffered thus far in life."

"You don't even know anything about my life," I shot back. She waved her hand in front of her face.

"That doesn't matter. All humans lead similar lives. Tragic."

She took another sip of her coffee and I realized that if I gave into my urge to slap that cup right out of her hand, I would get no more information from her.

"Why should I believe anything you're saying?"

She sighed.

"You know, if you don't open your laptop and check at your inbox, it's just going to keep gnawing at you. I've been reading your mind all day, not that _that's_ difficult to do. You want to know if what you saw last night was real or not. Damn, even Fujino didn't convince you? You really are thick headed."

My eyes must have gone wide with shock judging by the pleased expression on Nao's face after those last words hit me right where she wanted them to. I took out my laptop from my backpack and placed it upon the table, taking advantage of the free wifi on campus. My inbox was up in mere seconds and my heart sank. The email from last night was missing.

What did this prove, if anything? I felt lost and confused. Was all of it a dream, or was any of this real? The thin fabric of my reality was being torn thread by thread with each passing second and I looked at my reflection in the window of the cafe. Was this reality and how can I ever adjust to this new life?

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><p><strong><em>AN: Read and review. <em>**


	5. Sensitize Part 2

_**AN: Thank you to my Beta Amanda!**_

_**We have a bit of a treat for you this chapter! We get to see Shizuru's perspective in the latter half of the story and quite a bit more information is divulged about the history and politics of Knights and vampires ;)**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-Hime**

**Warnings: Futanari story Vampire-Demon story with smut-like references.**

"**Talking"**

"**_Thinking or P.O.V"_**

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><p>As I approached the Alpha-Beta house, I felt my stomach church and bellow. It was only six o'clock in the evening, but it seemed unusually dark for this time of day. As I scanned my surroundings, I concluded that the building looked like a typical frat or sorority house with its Greek architecture, just like all the others on campus. Its unremarkable appearance had perhaps made it unnoticeable to me in the past, and a part of me wondered if there was a reason for that. The only difference tonight was the banner featuring the Greek letters for Alpha-Beta displayed between the pillars. Some steps led up to the small platform before the door.<p>

I noticed Nao hanging out with the busty redhead that I'd encountered during our first encounter at the Alpha-Beta booth. Nao leaned against the wall of the house as she stood on the stoop under the awning, cigarette in hand and attitude unchecked as usual. I wondered how she could be the vice president while looking like such a delinquent, and how she even got into this university. Was she only here to enjoy the 'benefits' she told me about? Thinking of it made me even further sick. As the rest of the girls slipped past me through the front door and sat around the front room amidst the chatter and buzz, I counted them off, noticing that there were thirteen of us in all. I was the only one who remained outside, still hesitant to cross the threshold of the door.

"So you decided to actually come?" Nao asked me as bent forward and put out her cigarette on the bottom of her boot.

She twisted the butt and smashed it into the sole as if she hated it. She flicked her eyes upward at me as she adjusted her posture to stand upright and I witnessed her irises flash from lime-green to gold. Who and what she was exactly was still a bit of a mystery: a vampire or a Knight? Whatever - it was apparent in that cold stare that she considered herself to be at the top of the evolutionary food chain. I would answer her as coolly as possible with my feet firmly planted into the ground. She wouldn't get the better of me.

"Depends. Did these other girls have the choice to come as well?" I asked.

"Everything is a choice, Kuga. Sometimes an answer may come in the form of verbal consent, while at other times it may come in..._other_ ways," she smirked.

Nao turned her back on me and walked inside as I followed. I considered her words, mulling them over in my head as my mind battled with the whole idea of agreeing to join. While I may have been verbally protesting this entire time, I could not deny what my body and heart seemed to want. This was the chance of a lifetime. Not only did I have the chance to further my quest to solve the mystery of my father's death, but there were other inexplicably mysterious forces drawing me forward as I inched further into the room. My thoughts then wandered to Shizuru - the beautiful yet handsome knight who had sworn her allegiance to me just hours ago in some foreign ritual of fangs and hazed lust.

I positioned myself in front of her. To me it was symbolic in letting her know that I was not to be pushed around. Then as if to reaffirm my reasoning to myself more than Nao, I announced my decision. "Whatever choice you're talking, about you can save it. I'm here for one thing - to find out about my father."

I then turned away to explore my surroundings a bit. It looked like a normal house that any sisterhood on campus would employ for such meetings. To the left of me was a large marble fireplace nestled behind large wooden oak chairs before a coffee table featuring intricate carvings within its wooden surface and around its edges. The carpet was of a plush red and gold design underfoot and the room was dimly lit, setting a secretive vibe for the meeting. To my right, a large sectional sofa engulfed the room and snaked its way around more than one wall, aside from a revolving door in the corner which I could only assume led to the kitchen. A large stairwell opened up directly in front of me, leading to unknown rooms.

All of the girls sat around on the large, welcoming sofa. I decided to sit on the arm, however, not wanting to sit sandwiched between some strange girls who I did not know. I wanted Nao to know that I was the observer in this scenario, and that I still had a choice no matter what. Before me was the redhead who I'd already encountered and another, unknown woman whose blonde locks fell softly down her shoulders, much like the color of Shizuru's hair albeit a shade or two lighter. She emitted an aura of a lioness before prey as she watched us all shift and squirm. I couldn't put my finger on it, but this blonde haired woman seemed regal and dark, sort of like Shizuru but different.

She wore white pants with knee-high, black high-heeled boots, and like Shizuru she wore a choker, except this one was of a silver chain boasting a silver lion head of identical alloy; my eyes trailed up to her tight, button-up light blue top, which rested just high enough on her abdomen to reveal a pierced belly button. My observations were rather quick and most likely unnoticed to the untrained eye, and the last of the girls to join after closing the door was Nao, crossing her arms as she glared at the girls. There seemed to be no fear in their faces, almost as if they knew what they were in for.

"Listen up ladies," Nao announced, "This is our first night at Alpha-Beta of the new semester and before you pledge to this sisterhood, I will give one more chance to back out if you wish. For those of you who would like to stay, I welcome you."

She paused. Not a single one of us got up to leave.

"As all of you know, I am Nao Yuuki, vice president, and this woman to my left is Mai Tokiha, treasurer. This other lady before you is Haruka Suzushiro, the president of Alpha-Beta," she continued, gesturing to the light-blonde in the white pants I'd studied just moments ago. "Now that we are all gathered, I assume that either Mai or I have alerted you to the special requirements that are needed of you."

I watched as Nao nodded her head toward Mai as she spoke before Mai wisped herself away, busying herself with shutting all of the windows and checking the door once more. After she was done with her work, she settled herself into a chair by the fireplace to watch the scene unfold. I then felt a chill pass over me and felt that the air had turned frigid around my body as Haruka stood over me, her golden irises staring down at me as she placed an icy hand on my cheek. My heart pumped wildly behind my sternum as it occurred to me that this touch wasn't at all like what I'd felt from Shizuru. I felt as if I was a pet within this woman's hands. I looked her in the face and observed her pearly white fangs reflecting the dim lights of the room.

"Hmmm, it seems I am too late. Even with a proper invitation, that cousin of mine can be so very restive. Well, it is no matter," she said in a feminine, proper tone as she gradually lowered her face near to my own while she spoke. "Aren't you a curious little bird, Natsuki Kuga, meandering your way into the unseen realm? A word of advice: be careful not to go too far. Dangerous things lurk at night." With her last few words that she spoke, her voice lowered to a whisper, and her face twisted around to where her fangs lightly grazed my ear.

I grabbed my grandmother's Rosary through my shirt in a kneejerk reaction, the one thing that I hoped would provide me with protection. Everything about this woman reeked of harshness and bitterness, like the pounding of merciless rain against cold mountains. She may have been used to appropriating everything and everyone, but her display of royal arrogance was something I could not stand.

"Haruka, we do have a time schedule to abide by," Mai interjected.

Haruka straightened herself and I leaned slightly to the side as Mai smiled at me. She really did me a solid.

"Oh yes, I forget myself. Nao, please continue. I will be in my room. Welcome to the fold, ladies." A shorter woman with glasses stood to the side with a clipboard in hand and she followed Haruka up the stairs without so much as a look in my direction. Suddenly, my attention was drawn back to Nao as she spoke on the phone with an unknown party.

"Alright do it…" Nao whispered.

The center stairwell lifted, revealing a previously hidden room behind the obstruction.

"Now this is your last chance, ladies, if you do not wish to join the sisterhood of Alpha-Beta. There will be no penalty for any of you who desire to leave nor will we look down upon you for your decision, unless you fucking talk. So what'll be it, ladies?"

We all looked around at each other, and I noted more excitement than hesitation in the eyes of each girl. I wondered if I looked just as eager as they did. After a moment, it was obvious that, once again, no one wanted to leave.

"Now that you have made your choice, it is time for you to meet the other members of Alpha-Beta. Follow me," Mai announced, taking the lead.

I watched as everyone followed her without fear or vacillation. My mind mulled over the vampire lore I'd read about or seen in movies, and I remembered learning of the vampiric ability to hypnotize, but something told me that these women were not under the influence of any supernatural powers. I was the first in line and as I approached the conference room, I saw a staircase leading downward into a basement or dungeon of some sort. I knew I could make a break for the door if I wanted to leave, but my father's death and Nao's words kept a strong grasp on me as I willed myself forward, descending the hidden stairs into the unknown depths below.

I ascended the wall with ease, opening the window to the room on the second floor with a flick of my hand and wrist, smoothly gaining access to the dark room beyond. I folded myself inside, my black boots landing softly on the carpeted floor only to be greeted by Haruka. She saved me the trouble of seeking her out after she'd dared to touch my princess.

The dimly lit master bedroom was a fine, elegant room boasting a large hearth with a roaring fire opposite two oversized chairs, gold trim and black lace accentuating the details of the furniture. A four post, Victorian style bed swallowed up a good portion of the room to the left while Haruka's large oak desk spanned almost an entire wall to the right, facing inward toward the center of the room. Behind me, the wind blew past the white, chiffon sheers under the thick black curtains. I sat upon the window ceil and raked my palm down my black jeans toward my raised knee as my right leg curled under me, bracing my remaining weight against the wall. It quelled my itch to remedy my cousin's rebellion on the spot.

"Really Shizuru, my dear cousin, climbing through windows? Have you no pride as a vampire? Don't tell me you're here for the ceremony."

I felt my claws and fangs extending, and though I could retract them at will, I had nothing to hide from her. I had no desire to quarrel tonight, but I could not let her behavior slip unnoticed. Under my watch, no one would touch Natsuki. I approached the desk and slid a clawed finger across its polished, wooden surface as if I were carelessly letting my mind wander elsewhere. She would hear me and I would make sure of it.

"I should say the same to you cousin. You know it is far from wise to touch another Knight's princess. She does not belong to you," I affirmed.

Haruka smirked as she sat behind her desk. It was only a front to conceal her fear. I could smell it. She leaned back and looked pompously in my direction, golden orbs swimming with jealousy.

"If anything, I didn't know she was yours. Why must you always be so contentious Shizuru?"

Before she could react, I was out of her line of sight, the desk flipping over amidst scattered, airborne papers, my fangs fully exposed. I pinned her to the ceiling by the throat, ready to hang her from the chandelier as my anger swarmed throughout my body. Haruka feigned a weak smile, knowing she'd gotten under my skin.

"You dare decry my making Natsuki Kuga my princess?"

"Hahahaha!" she roared. "Really, is that all it takes for you to lose control? This is not like you. If anything I helped you."

Haruka was not fooling anyone, and I least of all. She was not of the type to ever help others, and ever since I achieved the rank of Master Knight of the four corners of the earth, I felt her jealousy growing in the shadows, boiling like magma folding into itself in an inescapable prison. Haruka had long ago given herself the title in her own deceitful, warped mind and yet a bond existed between us, knowing that we were among what little remained of our ancient bloodline. I remembered where my loyalties lie and unclenched my fingers around her throat, my face unflinching and our eye contact unbroken. We both were back on our feet in seconds and she adjusted her clothing as if she were collecting her dignity.

"My, my, losing your edge already. I'm wondering, just who is this vulnerable Shizuru before me? As I was saying before you so crudely tossed me around, this girl Natsuki is clearly a platonic interest."

"Spare me your silver tongue. It may work wonders on a tyro but you should know better than to attempt to pull the wool over my eyes, Haruka. I've a keen eye for your treachery, and you know the law that we follow is incontrovertible. She is mine," I stated.

"You make me sound like a despot. If I had not invited her to Alpha-Beta, you would never have tracked her," she retorted, grasping at what little logic she could conjure up.

I refused to play into her hands through manipulative means. I pressed on as the room took on a further bleak, dark tone, knowing that the subject at hand was touchy for us both, for different reasons. I had come for more than just rebuking and arguing.

"If you call forcing your complaisant dogs upon Natsuki in order to make her join this farce of a fraternity _'tracking'_ then you will find no pity from me when it comes to your plotting. Such methods are hardly reminiscent of the dignified practices of our forebearers. You will reap what you sow."

"This _'farce'_ of a fraternity was approved by you, do not forget."

I had other matters to discuss and forasmuch as Haruka was my cousin, she was also a source of information.

"Did you gather any further information regarding last night's attack on Natsuki?" I inquired. Haruka would draw out this argument to spite me if I did not flex my authority a bit.

"No, I found no motive for the attack. However, my team has stumbled upon a rather interesting find. We both know Natsuki is an astral projector. If her soul was to have perished last night during the attack, there would have been a gateway, or a portal."

"A gateway?"

"Yes, you see for someone with Natsuki's abilities, if her soul were to die at the hands of a demon, her body would be left open for possession. As you know, if there is an attack on a human from a demon, the demon is sent to hell. However, if the demon can reach and possess her body in time-"

"They cannot be sent back to hell," I cut her off, finishing her statement.

"Exactly. Do you know who this knight was before he was dethroned?"

"Yes, he was among the second legion who joined us when we made the pact all those centuries ago. He was among the 68th division, and knight to Princess Alexandra. His name was Brice."

"What became of his princess?"

"She perished the same way as Toru Kuga - suicide. I believe that we now have a similar phenomenon on our hands once more."

"What do you suppose is the motive for all of this?" Haruka asked, slight earnest creeping its way past the emotion rifts we'd just experienced.

"I do not know at the moment, but Natsuki is my top priority."

"And what about the Vatican? You cannot expect them to remain silent. Will you have words with them?"

"They have their hands full at the moment with some human affairs. They never will learn to balance the trivial and mundane with what is truly important. Thankfully their folly is to our advantage. I prefer that they stay out of my way, and out of our affairs," I answered.

"So you are of the opinion that we should be of assistance in this matter, though they offer neither help nor clues? Those fools! They let their own grand master Templar die and expunged the matter! The very idea of their so-called 'investigation' makes my cold blood boil!"

_Not that it took much to do that to Haruka Suzushiro._

"That is true. Furthermore, I feel the Vatican is using this as evidence to ossify their case against us. You forget that our presence on this earth is a desecration to all of their holy laws. Our time in the Crusades was necessary but their plans to eradicate us were foiled, as you well know, and they still plot against us with no intention of letting us stay in this world."

"So what do you suggest? We just wait around for a solution to present itself while they sleep peacefully at night under the assumption that we will solve this problem?"

"Yes, for now. We have no better option for the time being. Patience, dear cousin. Until then, we guard our princesses."

"Just how do you suppose we do that?" she spat, obviously further dissatisfied with each answer. If left up to her, we would have marched straight off to war that very night.

"By any means necessary. If we must, we can mate with them or court them into our beds, as you know. It is perhaps the most infallible method of ensuring their safety. Mating establishes the unbreakable pact which will alert us of any danger or harm that may come to them."

"Mating with them - how are you so certain that the outcome of such a choice will lead to a peaceful resolution? How do you know that we will not be stripped of our titles if we mate with the humans, princesses or not?"

I fixed my eyes into a deadlock gaze with hers and smiled. I knew her secret. She more than fancied Yukino Kikukawa, though not many knew of their controversial past. Over the years I'd observed her from the shadows, dark with curiosity yet mixed with understanding as I watched my cousin fall for her.

"I don't see why this is so unnerving to you," I replied, "You know better than anyone what it means to deal with the consequences of mating with a human."

I folded my arms across my chest, enjoying my slightly venomous words, even if it was for just a moment. She knew I was right.

It was Haruka's turn to bare fangs. I knew that launching into a diatribe of her activities would get the reaction I sought, driving home the point I wanted to make.

"What's the matter cousin, you thought I did not know? Luckily I had a talk with my father and convinced him not to banish you. He covered your little antics with your human, so no need to act so histrionic."

Defeated, she succumbed to the notion that she could not argue after learning that I'd taken care her actions. Any negative attention brought to light regarding our bloodline would cause more grief and endanger anyone either one of us became close to.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You've never taken a princess. How is it that you weren't dogged by the very law to which we were sworn to protect?"

"State your unseemly hypothesis clearly if you wish to insult me!" I raged.

Suddenly everything in the room was overturned in her anger. Her aura burst forth in a fit of madness. A gust of wind blew from the window like a knife into the room and I braced myself, unflinching, hard, and cruel against the ferocity of her gaze. A slight cut made its way across my cheek with a small line of blood trailing southward, but I barely noticed. A mere trifle, really. If my cousin was quite done with her child's play, I would have liked to have continued with our conversation without further interruption.

"Why aren't you a demon after all these years? Everyone knows that a Knight without a princess is no Knight at all! What makes you so exempt? I have seen many of my princesses leave this earth, and I fought every bloody battle with you for these humans, yet you were still placed above me!"

I let my face soften a bit, feeling perhaps a bit of guilt for the first time in five hundred years. All banter aside, she was a qualified candidate for the position which I now held over her and all other vampires and Knights. There was some truth in Haruka's words: because of her father's position in hell, she was presented with some opportunities and she did play by the rules, yet somehow still ended up getting the short end of the stick.

I betrayed myself perhaps a little in letting a sigh makes its way past my lips.

"You are right Haruka, but we cannot change what has been decided since birth. We can only dream each other's dreams. If only I could trade places with you, dear cousin."

I bowed out of respect for her and as a way of asking forgiveness for the harsh words that we had exchanged, hoping to quell the fire between us. I turned on one heel in silence and took the liberty of letting myself out as I knew I'd worn out my welcome. Haruka was a bit stunned by her anger, and regret pulled at my heart as I quietly shut her door.

My undead heart pumped life into my veins for the first time since I had set foot upon this earth. In my obfuscated mix of emotions, I pushed myself forward and slowly walked down the candlelit hall, toward that somber darkness of the world divine wherein I could find my princess. After years of death, decay, and betrayal, Natsuki was a breath of fresh air who filled my once lifeless lungs after I had waited so long. I wanted to give into my most carnal desires, but I knew the consequences of mating with a human. Vampires can mate with humans, but the repercussion of a Knight doing so could lead me to a place from which I might never return. I pressed on. My decision was already made. One taste of Natsuki's virgin blood was enough to tip me over the edge, pushing me nearer to the edge into the sublime yet wild, unexplored space of wanton lust. She was my ambrosia and I wanted more.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Here you go everyone good old fashion vampire politics for you so if you were confused by the plot hopefully this should solve out some answers<strong>_


	6. Sensitize Part 3 IMPORTANT AN

_**AN: Well I have some news for everyone, due to my fall out with my beta I'm putting this story on hiatus and within the next couple of weeks I might delete the story the choice hasn't been made yet. However still i'm going to update DBS and look forwards to a new story form me if or when I delete this. As well as I wont be taking any new betas so for those that message me i'm sorry i'm not taking any Beta's too much drama and i don't do well working around others work schedules.**_

_**Disclaimer= I do not own Mai Hime**_

_**Warnings= futanari Shiz/Nat demon/ vampire references.**_

_Thoughts _

The lighting was dim, and the atmosphere bleak against the stark contrast of red and black walls. We all looked around to notice thirteen doors surrounding us, equal to the number of new girls, including myself. At the end of the hall, a silver door faced us which appeared to be an elevator. I curiously wondered how deep this sorority house went underground, especially considering the massive size of the doors which were akin to service elevators in hospitals. If I had to bet, I'd wager that all thirteen of us could easily fit inside of it. A couple of girls hung around at the end of the hall. Their curious gaze felt heavy upon us all. Their fangs sent shivers down my spine, their expressions hungry and amused. One of the doors was haphazardly left open, revealing a girl inside who appeared to be at the peak of orgasm, moaning and entangled within the arms of three women feeding from her. Mai turned around to address us, a smile still spread across her bubbly face, and I contemplated just how on earth she could keep up her smiling amidst the scenery around us.

"Ladies, welcome to the Bunker. It consists of two floors. In total there are-"

"Thirty-six rooms, with a ceremony room on an additional third floor," piped up a mousy-looking girl at the back, cutting Mai off and finishing her statement. Her brown hair was pulled up into pigtails and she straightened her glasses after finishing her sentence with a slight bow forward. She looked like the type of girl one might seek out for help with the higher academics of university life. She was soft spoken and appeared to be the type of girl who would balk at her own shadow. Yet considering her forwardness in the situation, perhaps it was just how she was, and not necessarily a reflection of timid nature. A number of us appeared to be confused by her knowledge of the Bunker, as she seemed to be the only one of us who had any information about where we were.

"That is correct Miya-Chan, although I wouldn't expect any less from the daughter of the ruler of the Southern Lands. How are your father and mother?" Mai asked.

To my dismay, it sounded as if Miya's father held some authoritative position, perhaps even in the underworld, just like Shizuru. Who was Miya, then? I thought of a certain blonde-haired woman and felt the heat rise in my face as I scowled. Perhaps I could turn to Miya for answers, instead of Shizuru from here on out, if I could warm up to her and become her friend. Settling my thoughts upon this notion, I felt both a mixture of hope and disappointment at the thought of consulting with someone else, thereby avoiding Shizuru entirely.

"T-They're fine. I'm sorry I interrupted," she squeaked. Yep, definitely like a mouse.

We turned our attention back to Mai for further instruction, but whatever she was about to say was abruptly cut off by another girl moaning loudly from behind one of the doors in the hall. Mai giggled.

"Well, it seems like one of our members is enjoying some of the benefits that we have to offer," she affirmed with a wink.

"What benefits are those?" asked another girl from the group.

Nao rolled her eyes and sighed as she leaned against the wall.

"Look, it's real fuckin' simple," she snapped, "If you open your ears, _human_, some of us take you as a princess. We feed off of you and we fuck you." Yeah, tactfulness was clearly her strong point.

Mai cleared her throat. Not a single one among us avoided turning scarlet.

"Nao, you are scaring them." Mai's smile nearly cracked. "It is true, as we have told you, that each of you have a choice as to whether or not to proceed. No one is forcing you into anything, and that includes sex. It is just that, during feeding, it heightens the pleasure and makes it into a more enjoyable experience. However, Nao will run that by you in the morning. As for tonight, you will be sworn in."

"W-What!" I broke in, "I thought you said this was an introduction!"

I was the only one that spoke up out of the group, feeling that I had been lied to this entire time.

"Tch, yeah well, it fucking was! That's why I asked if you wanted to leave. If you'd left, it would have been like _'Bye! There's your fucking introduction!'_ We operate differently. Remember that shit, Kuga," Nao spat.

Was there anything this woman said that didn't contain choice, four letter words? It was almost too easy to wind her up. I stared her down and folded my arms.

"Yeah, I _fucking_ got it," I mocked.

"Now children, let's stop with the arguing. Follow me, please," Mai interjected.

We both decided to call a truce to our banter as we glared and squinted at each other before stubbornly looking away. We were led down another hall, perpendicular to the one with the doors, and Mai escorted us all into what appeared to be a locker room.

The lockers were of fine wood, different from the metal lockers I was used to, and the benches were rounded and smooth. There were also showers in an adjacent room, connected to the locker room, accompanied by marble countertops, tall mirrors, and dark, andesite tiles. As we explored the room, we all anxiously focused our attention to anything Mai might offer up next, knowing she had all the answers. Even after my meeting with Shizuru, I still felt that I was a long way from discovering all of the answers that I sought. Mai produced a large bag and held it forward as he opened it. We each started at each other with clueless expressions.

"We have now come to the end of our tour. We are within two hours of the induction ceremony. If everyone would please line up, I would like for you to drop your cell phones into the bag. I will then give you a number. After that, please locate the locker with your corresponding number."

There was a mutual drawback or hesitation that hovered over us all upon hearing Mai's words. We were in the age of technology, and this request made us feel uneasy. To ask us to give up our cells phones was to ask us to give up our lifeline to the outside world. There was no turning back from this. Even if I wanted to turn around, after they had my cell phone, I couldn't walk away without getting it back first. As I looked at my cell, I noticed that there was no signal anyway, and assumed the other girls had the same problem.

Nao interjected with her usual cockiness.

"This is still a choice. You still can decide to leave after this. We will give you one more chance. If you want to continue on, we need your cellphone. You will get your phones back in the morning, that we can promise you. Now then, what will it be, ladies?" she tilted her head to the side as she posed the question, a shit-eating grin plastered across her face.

We all got in line, and once more, no one made the choice to leave. All I knew was that I was dying to ask questions of them all, desiring to know just _who knew what_ about this sorority and the hierarchy surrounding it. I wondered if they felt the same way. Was it excitement and wonder keeping them here, or fear and illusion? Were they in on something that I wasn't?

As I progress further up the line, Nao met my gaze as she lit her cigarette.

"Truth time Kuga. Let's see what you're made of, chicken shit," she taunted before taking a long drag and blowing it in my face. It was official: I hated her.

And even if for no other reason than to take my place in this sorority just to spite her and piss her off, I dropped my cell in the bag as I approached it, daring her to say one more word. I would find out my answers, I would use who I needed to, and I would make it known that I was no pushover. My resolve settled into my bones at that moment, and even if it did take the taunting of Nao Yuuki to solidify my decision, I'd take her words and use them as fuel to rise above them.

With that she smiled and took her place at Mai's side.

I took my number from Mai and found my assigned locker.

Nao's voice again rose above the nervous chatter in the room as she addressed us.

"Okay ladies, in each of these lockers you will find a change of clothes. This new wardrobe is a requirement for the ceremony. Each locker is equipped with everything you will need. I want you all to strip bare. I want pussies free of extra hair. They don't have to be bald, just not a wild, fucking tumbleweed. Fingernail polish, eyeliner, makeup, jewelry, and all of that other crap - I want it all gone. If you have tattoos, well we can't do shit about that. You put one what we give you, and that is all. If you put on anything other than the specified clothing, we will kick your ass right the fuck out, and that will be the end of it for you. Leave your clothes in the locker and don't take too much time. You only have two hours. Anything you want to add, Mai?"

"Good luck," said Mai with a cheeky smile and a thumbs up.

"Good luck. You're going to fucking need it."

With that, Mai and Nao left us, slamming the door as they exited and locking it, presumably form the outside with a key. Great, so we were deadbolted in. As I opened my locker, I discovered a white, baby doll negligée with white bra. I recognized it to be from a Victoria's Secret Dream set and through my extensive experience with lingerie, I could tell this was _not_ a cheap set. I looked around and could see all the other girls were already undressing. A blonde-haired girl with a large bust size, clad only in a red bra, changed beside me. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail and her tall, slender form made her look like a model. She seemed irritated as she went about her business before finally speaking up.

"So does anyone want to tell me exactly what the hell we've gotten ourselves into?" she shouted. "What about you, pig tails? You got any answers, since you seem to know what the hell is going on?"

I knew first impressions were important, but I couldn't seem to pinpoint how I felt about her yet. I couldn't tell if she was friend or foe as she towered over the small girl whose name we'd learned was Miya just minutes earlier. Some of the girls were showering and seemed completely comfortable with the nudity surrounding us all. I tried to ignore the arousal which started to surge throughout my body, but it was becoming irrefutable. I reached my hand around to the back of my neck and nervously raked a sweaty palm across my skin as I looked back at my lingerie.

Miya balked under the gaze of the tall blonde hovering above her and backed herself away into a locker.

"So what about it glasses girl, you got an explanation?"

"Hey I don't think intimidating her is going to solve anything," I chimed in, sensing her feeling of complete helplessness.

The girl backed away from Miya and sighed as she looked up to the ceiling, and I could tell that she was actually just as uncertain as we all were. I actually felt a sense of relief upon realizing that I wasn't the only one left in the dark.

"Well, how do you explain what the fuck is going on here Kuga?" she asked, turning her attention toward me.

"I can't explain," I protested.

"Miya I was hoping that you could explain some of this, if you don't mind," I addressed the small girl who jumped as she realized we had all turned our attention to her.

"W-Well, I'm not sure where t-to start."

"For one, you can start by explaining where we truly are," I encouraged with the warmest smile I could manage.

"We are the top level of three underground floors within the compound. It is here that some of the girls do their feeding and sleeping. The floor below us houses more of them and some chamber rooms. Below that is a ceremony room. That is all I know."

"Like shit that's all you know, you twit," cut in the model looking blonde.

I watched as Miya held up her hands as if she feared she would be struck in the face.

"I s-swear that's all I know!"

"Really like hell you know yo-"

"I think that's enough for now, Bridgette."

I traced the voice to an approaching girl with long, reddish hair who had a towel wrapped around her neck. She looked me over and smiled, understanding that the situation needed some cooling before more tension built between blondie and me.

_So her name is Bridgette, huh?_

"Whatever Aoi, don't act as if you're so high and mighty. You're just as clueless as we are," Bridgette shouted.

"Look, I know that we are all a bit scared by this whole thing, but like they said upstairs, we have every right to leave if we feel too uncomfortable. I believe we were all at least told a little about what they do here before we signed up, right?" I interjected, trying to smooth the situation over.

"That shit doesn't even apply to what I've seen. I was told some shit about them being creatures of the night or something, but I didn't expect to see a girl getting her brains fucked out while being a fucking snack!" Bridgette shouted.

I could tell she was definitely the hothead amongst us, but I still believed that there was a logical answer to everything, including the mind of an angry, confused college girl.

"If you do not want to join, then don't. Simple as that. Nao said we have another chance after this, so whatever these people are, they seem to care a great deal about our wellbeing," Aoi offered.

"So..." she trailed off and looked around at each of us, eyes hopeful, "What exactly are they?"

My body stiffened at the question. I knew the answer but did not want to create a panic. I knew thanks to the information Shizuru supplied earlier, but how would these girls react to the news? I turned to Miya, hoping she would find a way to relay the information so that I wouldn't have to.

"They are vampires…" Miya stated.

"Vampires?! You have _got_ to be fucking kidding me!" Bridgette stormed.

"N-No, I'm not," Miya continued as she adjusted her glasses once more. "According to my step father, there are two types of vampires: nobles and common wealth. Right now we are in a noble's territory. That lady you met down there - Haruka Suzushiro - she is a noble, and she's also the cousin of Shizuru Fujino."

"Wait, Shizuru Fujino, the teacher of that crazy ass, lame paranormal class?" Bridgette roared with exaggerated laughter. At that exact moment, I decided that Bridgette was not my favorite, and for some strange reason felt a sense of possessiveness come over me, as if I was insulted on Shizuru's behalf. Why I should care about what others thought of her was beyond me.

"As I was saying, she's the cousin of Haruka Suzushiro," Miya repeated.

"What makes them so different? Also, are the vampires here nobles as well?" Aoi queried.

"A lot of vampires, like the ones we saw in the rooms down the hall, are only changed by other vampires. However, nobles are pure blooded, their bloodlines reaching back for centuries. The pure blooded vampires are called Knights. They have a code of honor and a higher standard of living.

"What the hell? Are they dangerous? I mean, here we are about to get chomped on! Why can't the government step in and eradicate them?" Bridgette continued to ask questions hysterically.

"Relax, remember they aren't going to just bite us without consent, remember?" I interjected, irritated at how Bridgette kept interrupting Miya. I wanted to hear her talk more, because clearly she knew the answers.

"Kuga is right," Miya affirmed, gesturing in my direction. "No, they aren't dangerous. They are necessary, actually. Also, they own the government, well at least according to my stepfather, and he would know because he is head of the information branch of the government. The only ones that can override everything are the Catholic Church."

"Well, let's fucking call them!"

"It's not that simple. If you told them about your knowledge regarding vampires and the hierarchy, they wouldn't help at all - you may lose your life over it. Is it worth it? They are giving you a chance to leave. They aren't monsters. Sometimes they care about is more than other humans," Miya trailed off and her eyes drifted to the side as she spoke and I watched as she gripped her shirt tightly. There was a pain in her eyes as she explained all of this to us, and none of us dared to ask about her real father, but it was plain to see that there was a story there which involved some deep hurt.

Bridgette's face softened and she let her shoulders relax a little, seemingly letting down her defenses a bit. We all knew there was truth to what Miya had said, because we knew what we'd all seen with our own eyes. She let out a sigh, apparently tired of arguing and letting all of the new information sink in, just as we all were. I personally was happy that Miya stood up for herself and let her feelings be made known.

"Fine, I'll give up and go along with this, but I'm going to speak for everyone on this and I don't care if you agree or not: if there's anything we want to know, we are going to you first, and as freshmen, we are electing you as the representative for us," Bridgette stated matter-of-factly, her finger pointed at Miya as if she had no choice in the matter.

"Now wait a minute. I don't think that's fair to Miya," Aoi broke in.

"N-No its fine Aoi, I'll do it. Besides, it's nice to be able to let you all know about what's going on."

"Okay, if that is how you feel. Now that all of this is settled, I feel at least a tad bit better, though I feel strange without my cell phone."

"Yeah why did they do that? Think they don't want us snapping pictures? Also, what about Mai? Is she a vampire?" I chimed in.

Everyone gathered around in a circle, as all of us wanted to know more about the situation at hand.

"No Mai isn't a vampire. She's a princess, and Nao is a Knight."

"W-What?! How is she a knight?" I cried. "She looks like a regular vampire to me, and an asshole at that!"

Miya took a deep breath.  
>"It is hard to explain. She is different. According to my father, Nao was a special case. At first, she was thought to be completely human, but her vampire side didn't kick in for some time. You see, feeding vampires not only has benefits on campus, but when we become adults, we can make the decision as to whether or not we feed them and become a vampire. The benefits go way up if you do become one, of course. However, in Nao's case, she started out as a human, then turned into a vampire. My father ran a background check and, as it turns out, Nao's father fed from her mother while her mother was pregnant. So her status as a noble was established and her common wealth status was erased, due to her father's nobility. However, it is forbidden for a noble to mate with a human, but Nao's father's status outweighed that rule."<p>

"S-So what happened to her father?" asked one of the girls. I looked over at her and noticed that her hair was cut short in a bob-like style. Pink stood out in contrast against her front bangs as the rest was black.

"I-I don't know…"

"So does Nao have a princess," I heard myself ask.

"Yes, it's Mai," Miya replied.

"**WAH…** All of us shouted at the same time. Everyone was shocked.

Nao's brutal and bold nature completely conflicted with Mai's motherly, sweet nature. They were from different worlds and we all knew it. We were all so stunned that we sat in silence just letting that bit of information sink in.

Within an hour, most of the girls were ready to go. A couple of girls looked very at home when it came to their bodies. I still hesitated as I stared at myself in the mirror. Miya felt shy as well as she stared down at the floor, not wanting to look at any of the other girls as she changed clothes, blushing her way through the process. I felt so self-conscious knowing that I was about to show myself to a crowd of mostly naked strangers. It couldn't be helped.

I pulled my clothes off piece by piece, the cold air hitting my breasts and making my vulnerability painfully obvious. I reminded myself of why I was here and why I was doing this. I would find my answers and Haruka Suzushiro was next on my list of Knights that I would interrogate. I'd go through every noble if I had to. If my father was as powerful as they say he was - a Grand Master Templar - then what could have driven him to take his own life? For right now, I was a believer in this newfound world of vampires and Templars, and with the stunt I'd pulled in astral projecting last night, I knew that there were certain things that I could not explain.

As I finished changing and looked around at the nervous yet excited faces, I heard the door open. Nao stood in the opening just beyond the threshold, and several others stood behind her. She wore a red hooded robe that reached the floor and a long centerpiece cloth hung loosely around her hips, accentuated by a gold chain that held it all together. The valley between her breasts was the only portion of skin showing on her as the robe fit snuggly around her shoulders. She looked regal in her attire, like a mix of European and Egyptian fashion.

"I'm assuming that you are all done here? Now line up along your assigned locker," she ordered.

We did as we were told as we watched Nao walk in followed by the other girls whose names we did not know. I assumed that the other girls were human until I saw their fangs. I refused to let them strike fear into me and I hardened my resolve. Nao looked at each girl before nodding her approval to the others.

It wasn't until she got to me that I wanted to cover myself from her gaze. Not because she frightened me, but because she angered me. It was annoying to have her stare me down like a piece of cattle and I hated it. Her gaze was nothing like what I felt under that of Shizuru. I repeated to myself my own reasons for why I was here again, like a song or a mantra. I noted Nao's approval of my clothes and body in the way her facial features changed and her eyes lit up.

"Well, you clean up well Kuga, for a human that is," she smirked.

I chose to say nothing, and it was not as if I could, for Nao was already walking away from me toward the center of the room so that she could address all of the girls. With my focus now re-centered, I looked around and everyone appeared to be just as eager as I was to see what transpired next. We all had an idea of what to expect, and we had Miya to thank for that.

"Now it's nice to see that you ladies clean up nicely," Nao restated as she walked over to me once more. She bent down until she was eye level with my newly shaven mound before flicking her eyes up at me and resuming her speech.

"Very nicely..." she grinned, baring fangs.

I wanted to punch her lights out. She was at the perfect height for me to have easily given her a knee to the face. I knew humiliating me was part of her game, but I couldn't help feeling that there was something more than a game. Perhaps she'd heard us talking about her and was exacting revenge for the conversation we'd all had in the locker room.

She took her place back in the center of the room and all the other robed girls pulled up their hoods.

"Now that we've gotten past the initial phase of inception, I'm going to say again one final time: whoever wishes to leave can leave. Any takers?"

I looked around at the girls, particularly Bridgette, and everyone else seemed to have solidified their decisions as well. No looks of uncertainly were on display this time. I knew that we all must have had our own sets of reasons for being there, and something told me that none of our stories were simple. I felt in my heart that any normal girls would have tucked tail and ran, and yet there we all were, waiting for the next step. And somehow throughout those last moments in the locker room as I listened to Nao talk, my mind drifted back to a certain blonde-haired, crimson-eyed Knight whose absence tonight had not gone unnoticed. I wondered where she was.

_**AN: Read and Review.**_


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